


A Fool's Errands

by supermariotaxevasion



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, Slow Burn, Tsugu gets isekai'd AU, afterglow is a bunch of normies but I love them, the gang's all here, yukina is a vaguely disreputable bard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28491399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supermariotaxevasion/pseuds/supermariotaxevasion
Summary: Trespassing into the room of your friend's younger sister and investigating a mysterious mirror? What's the worst that could happen? Never being able to go home again? Oh, that is pretty bad huh. Good luck out there, Tsugu.
Relationships: Hazawa Tsugumi/Hikawa Sayo
Comments: 11
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a surprisingly productive practice for Afterglow. It was as if before the session, every member had made their own personal pledge to go a whole thirty minutes without getting distracted. Minimal socializing, just music. Truly remarkable. In spite of the occasional light teasing amongst friends, they had managed to get solid practice time in on three different songs. 

Of course, this just meant that the band absolutely  _ had _ to catch up on missed shenanigans with a good ol’ fashioned post-practice hangout. To reward themselves for a job well done, of course. After all, practice had been exhausting. 

And so catch up they did. The venue of choice for this endeavor was the Udagawa household, and though they did spend an hour talking as a group, it ultimately didn’t take long for everyone to drift off into their own worlds, only to eventually reconvene once they were unified by a shared feeling of hunger and a desire to order food. Once scattered across the residence, engaged in various lowkey, chill activities, the group slowly came back together in the living room. All except one. 

“Hrmmm…” Himari pouted at the empty spot on the couch where Tomoe  _ might _ have been sitting, had she been present. “Tsuguuuuuuu... can you go get her?” They needed opinions from everyone, after all.

“Why bother? You already know what she’s gonna say.” Ran countered, hesitant to make Tsugumi get up for such a foregone conclusion. 

“ _ Hey _ ! It’s only fair. Maybe she’s in the mood for something different this time! You don’t know!” 

Tsugumi laughed at that. It might be rude, but she had to agree with Ran on this one. 

“And,” Moca chimes in, deciding she might as well throw her hat in this proverbial ring, “if we decide without her she’d probably insist that she was going to say something other than ramen just to be stubborn.” 

“Okay,  _ okay _ . I’ll go get her.” 

Tsugumi left the comfort of her chair and went off toward the stairs. She had seen Tomoe head upstairs with Ako a bit ago, so it was safe to assume she was still up there. As she approached the door to Ako’s room, she realized it was just the slightest bit ajar. She also realized that she could hear the two still talking. She saw a bit of the scene, someone’s hand on some kind of glass. From what Tsugumi could see, it was a mirror...Ah! She shouldn’t be looking into Ako’s room like that. It would be best to alert the two of her presence then. Tsugumi hated to interrupt sister stuff, but if she lingered she’d be in danger of more accidental eavesdropping. Plus, the invitation to food voting extended to Ako.

Tsugumi was about to knock. 

On any other night, this would end at her relaying a question and being met with the expected answer of “ramen”. If Tsugu had ascended the stairs even five minutes prior, perhaps it would have.

But what spectacular timing it was that just as her fist was mere inches from the door, a light flashed through the crack. Unnaturally bright. Without any exaggeration, it was unlike anything Tsugumi had ever seen before. And just as soon as it came into this world, it disappeared. Gone in a flash. And with the light went Ako. No longer did her hand rest upon the mirror. 

And now Tomoe was moving toward the door, and Tsugu really ought to back away lest Tomoe realize that Tsugu had seen something she most definitely shouldn’t have seen. 

She had known Tomoe for so long, and not a single thing she knew about this friend of hers could explain what she had witnessed. Ah, but perhaps she was getting ahead of herself. Jumping to wild, unfounded conclusions. An ornate mirror emitting a light of a suspicious brightness and strange aura (it had an  _ aura _ ) could be nothing more than some kind of prop or toy or something. Ako could have just gone to another corner of the room while the flash of the mirror was going off. Tsugu hadn’t heard the quick movements that might be required for someone to cross a room in the half a second the light from the mirror lasted... but who’s to say? Ako is pretty small.

“Tsugu?”

And there Tomoe stood, right in front of the accidental eavesdropper. She who had been so caught up in her rationalizing that she had forgotten to move, and thus her crimes were made so very apparent. Thankfully, Tomoe was more than happy to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. 

“What’s up?” She asked, assuming that there was good reason for Tsugu to have been lurking outside Ako’s door. 

“O-oh! Right! Um. Right. We were just about to vote on dinner. So-” 

“Wow, it has gotten late huh? Thanks Tsugu.” Tomoe shuts the door behind her. “Better not keep ‘em waiting, eh?”

Tsugumi was nearly about to agree without a second thought and head downstairs with Tomoe when some part of her brain, desperate to make a situation more uncomfortable than it needs to be, spoke up. 

“Does Ako want anything?” It slips out before she can stop herself. Making matters even worse, what might have been a completely innocent question was followed by a sharp inhale indicative of someone who might have been thinking, “dear god, what was I thinking asking such a thing?” which well and truly incriminated Tsugu. 

Tomoe paused on the top step of the stairs. 

It felt like eternity to Tsugumi for her to receive an answer.

It was likely only a few seconds.

“Ahhh...she’s actually not feeling too hot.” Tomoe’s head was turned toward Tsugumi, so she could see the way her eyes narrowed slightly at the lie. Tomoe wasn’t the biggest fan of a suspicious Tsugumi. It was weird. 

To add credibility to the lie Tomoe tacked on a quick “We should get her something that she can have later!” Genius. Why get food for someone who wasn’t here? If they get food for Ako under the pretense that she will eat it later, then surely Ako must still be in the house. A flawless lie. Surely that would convince Tsugumi.

Tsugumi nodded, not even a little bit convinced. Still, she tried to keep the polite smile on her face from looking too concerned. 

The ghost of that mild concern still haunted the back of Tsugumi’s mind for the rest of the evening. All through dinner (ramen, amazingly enough) and well into after dinner discussions of boring college professors and annoying customers. 

The curiosity refused to leave her as she excused herself to go use the bathroom, located just across from Ako’s room.

And it lingered as she trespassed into the dark room, and noted that Ako was nowhere to be found.

As she approached the prime suspect in all this, this astounding mirror, her curiosity swelled and crashed onto shore, giving way to dread and fear. It was so dark in the room, she could hardly make herself out in the glass. Against her better judgement, she placed a hand upon it. 

She was afforded half a breath of relief at the lack of things happening before something finally happened. 

A flash of light. Blinding. Impossibly disorienting. 

Some sort of force gripping her hand, pulling her forward.

The room vanished behind her.

She was falling.


	2. Chapter 2

The fall had taken quite a bit out of Tsugumi, so it was perfectly reasonable that she found herself passed out for a bit. Thirty minutes at most. A quick post-interaction-with-a-mysterious-mirror nap, really. She had thankfully picked a relatively safe spot for a short rest. Forest trees hung thick swaths of leaves overhead, blocking out the bright sun that might have given her quite the sunburn otherwise and hiding all manner of melodious bird generating white noise for a soothing sleep experience. The grass was soft, making for a comfortable enough bed. The most dangerous thing in her vicinity was a lake a few feet beside her that she might be at risk of falling into. 

It had taken a small deer licking her forehead for Tsugumi to finally wake up. She first noted the wet feeling on her forehead, and then a similar wet feeling on her back. Upon feeling the ground around her, she came to the conclusion that she was lying on some particularly damp grass. That was one mystery solved. 

She wiped the saliva off her forehead, and turned to find the culprit beside her. Another mystery solved. Though, this one caused her to sit up suddenly and scoot backward across the grass, only stopping when her hand left grass and plunged into the cold water of the lake. The shock of the near-lake experience caused Tsugumi to cry out, which was the final straw for the already frightened little deer. It sprinted away, into the depths of the forest. 

“I’m sorry!” Tsugumi called after the deer. 

Though she does feel bad for the animal, she doesn’t dwell on it too long. After all, she had no idea where she was. That really seemed like the more pressing issue. Her new, lush scenery was certainly the fault of that oh so mysterious mirror that she was now kicking herself for investigating. She’s unsure of how exactly she got here from the mirror. She glances upward, as if wondering if she had fallen from the sky. The sky that she could hardly see, save for the streams of sunlight breaking through the trees and decorating the grass. 

Or perhaps she had emerged from the lake? That sort of thing happens in stories, she was sure of it. Lakes were like old fantasy mirrors. Right? 

Still knelt in the grass, Tsugumi turned her body to face the lake and peered into it. She thought the lake didn’t seem particularly magical. But what did she know? She also didn’t think she would ever be woken up by an exceptionally small deer licking her face. Crazy things happen every day. Or at least, they did when you end your day falling through a mirror in the room of your bandmate’s sister. She placed her hand onto the surface of the lake to see if it might glow. Perhaps it might create an entrance back home. That would be nice.

The lake, in what Tsugumi decided to interpret as mockery, did no such thing. It remained a perfectly normal lake.

“I don’t know why I thought that would work…” She sighs, a part of her still believing herself to be in a world that made sense. 

Well, no point in moping in front of some perfectly average lake. She stood up and began making her way out of the clearing. The sooner she found people (of the friendly variety, preferably), the sooner she could go home. She could reflect on how weird this all was when she was safe in bed. 

So deep in thought was Tsugumi, she nearly ran into the person deliberately blocking her path. 

“Ah!  _ Fair maiden _ was it you who frightened poor William?” 

It seemed it wouldn’t take leaving the forest for Tsugumi to find people. Though, as she looked the person up and down...it was as if the forest had invaded them. In a sense. Though dressed in a perfectly sensible (if a bit old fashioned) waistcoat and shirt from the waist up, where one might find pants on this person there were instead the legs of a goat. Gently cutting through the stranger’s purple hair were two little horns. In her arms, she held the little deer from earlier. 

“O-oh...I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to, really.” Tsugumi responded, trying desperately not to let her eyes wander to the satyr’s animal attributes. “...I’m sorry William.” She added, addressing the deer. 

The deer and the satyr shared a quick look, a nod, and the deer is gently placed onto the ground.

“William forgives you, though that is hardly the issue here.” The satyr said. This worried Tsugumi, and made her begin to think she had done something terribly wrong.

“Um...I can explain-” She couldn’t, and thus was thankful for the interruption that followed.

“Have you found yourself lost amongst the foliage of these woods?” 

“Ah-”

“Do not be ashamed of such a thing, traveler.” It was at this point that the satyr placed a gentle hand at Tsugumi’s back and began walking her forward, “This forest can be quite unfriendly to those unused to its magic.” 

Tsugumi had several questions, though she wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted or was ready for answers to at least half of them. 

“Um...how did you know that I’m ‘unused to its magic’...?” Is what she finally settled on asking.

“Well, you’re clearly not of this realm.” The stranger gestured to Tsugumi’s whole vibe. Tsugumi tugged at the hem of her t-shirt and winced at the shame of such a crime. “Your smell certainly isn’t right.” 

“I... Listen, could you help me um-”

“Find your way out of the forest? But of  _ course _ !” 

Tsugumi wanted to protest, mostly out of sheer stubbornness in response to the assumption made by this person. However, as she stopped in her tracks and began to speak, a sharp breeze rustled the trees around her. It was a most unnatural breeze, as if some great beast had come in for a landing and the woods simply couldn’t help but be disturbed. Animals that hid amongst the trees now scattered into the clearing, shaking.

Tsugumi then felt very desperate to leave the forest. She wasn’t sure what had caused the ruckus, but she didn’t want to stick around and find out. Though, when glancing up at her would-be guide to gauge her take on the new activity in the woods, she didn’t seem to pay it any mind. Or, on closer look she seemed very desperate to appear that she was not paying it any mind. So, without much in the way of other options, Tsugumi followed this hopefully good intentioned stranger out of the forest.

“Hold on...my ‘smell’?” 

“Mm, indeed.” 

The subject was not further elaborated on.


	3. Chapter 3

While on their brief journey, Tsugumi learned more than a few things about her new companion (including that her name is Kaoru). It was quite the monologue, almost entirely about Kaoru herself as well as the town (Roselake) that she was so graciously leading Tsugumi to. Well, you see she had important business to attend to in the town (important satyr business) and it was simply the perfect place for Tsugumi to acquire information and supplies. Apparently, it was a friendly enough little town with a positively  _ cozy _ marketplace. Truly rave revues which, all in all, took up a majority of the walk to said town (a walk which Tsugumi reckoned lasted a good half hour, or perhaps a solid 45 minutes). 

Kaoru had no further questions as to why Tsugumi was dressed how she was, or where the hell she came from. Apparently all that was important to her was that Tsugumi was from somewhere else. She needn’t learn anymore. Well, except for her name. To Kaoru’s credit, she had asked for her name. Tsugumi had to admit, she was grateful for Kaoru’s lack of curiosity. Perhaps it was just the satyr being self centred, or perhaps she could tell that Tsugumi didn’t really want to get into it. Either way, Tsugumi was pleased.

Upon entering the town of Roselake, which seemed to be just as nice as Kaoru had described it, Tsugumi couldn’t help but marvel at it. She must have looked ridiculous, she was sure of it. After all, the town really wasn’t much beyond “nice”. But it was interesting to her! Like something out of a European fairytale of some kind. Neat dirt roads, perfect for horses passing through. The occasional attempt at a nicer cobblestone path here and there, but they were pointless on all counts except for perhaps adding to the aesthetic. A few stray cats darted between the alleys of the little shops and the little houses. 

Ah, but Tsugumi didn’t want to appear condescending toward the quaint town. After all, this wasn’t a theme park. People lived here. So she made the conscious decision to stop looking so in awe of everything. 

“And here we are! If information is what you’re in need of, I recommend visiting the tavern and the marketplace.” Kaoru gestured in the general direction of where those two locations could be found. “There’s a wealth of gossip to be found. Shall I accompany you?” 

“Oh! No, no that’s okay! Thank you Kaoru.” Tsugumi was certain she could find her way. The town didn’t seem that big, and a marketplace wasn’t something easy to hide. Nor was a tavern...not that she had ever been to one. 

“Ahhh...then this is farewell, my short-lived travel companion. How fleeting…till we meet again!” With a wave, Kaoru started off down the road to find what she had come here for. 

From what Tsugumi could parse from their conversation, there was a dear friend who lived here. Apparently this dear friend (who was, as she was informed, quite beautiful) was off to the castle town to audition for some kind of theatre troupe, and Kaoru wanted to wish her luck. Tsugumi had been able to parse quite a bit. 

Okay, okay. Market. She would start with the market. That seemed like a wise decision, for whatever reason. Perhaps the idea of entering a tavern made her nervous, though it was the middle of the afternoon. 

It didn’t take long to find the market. Farmers, butchers, bakers, all selling at stalls along a street lined with shops. It was small but busy. But not  _ too _ busy. Busy enough to not be sad, but not suffocating. Still, it’s all very overwhelming for Tsugumi. The gravity of her situation had settled in the pit of her stomach, and she felt like she very much wanted to sit down. Or perhaps collapse on the side of the road. 

“Hey! You!” A voice suddenly cut through the crowd. Tsugumi turned to find the voice. What she had found was one of the shopkeepers waving at her. A human girl with bright orange hair. “Over here!” She added. 

Tsugumi made her way over to the stall. There was a pleasant food smell emanating from it. A brief glance up told her that this was set up for “ _ Kitazawa Butchery _ ”. 

“U-um. Yes?” Tsugumi squeaked. 

“Are you lost?” The shopkeep asked. Straight to the point with this one.

Tsugumi sighed at the question. Was it really that obvious? It must have been. In a town this size, it was likely that everyone knew each other. And it’s not like she looked like she was passing through on her way to kill a dragon or something. She just looked out of place, without purpose, and somewhere on the verge of a panic attack. 

“...Yes…” She said.

That made Kitazawa pause, which caused Tsugumi quite a bit of confusion (though she tried her best not to show this on her face).  _ What had been this butcher’s plan exactly?? _ Was she hoping Tsugumi would say no?

“I’m sorry to hear that!” Kitazawa finally responded. “Do you want a croquette?”

Ah. So she didn’t have a plan after all.

“Um...aha, no thank you. I don’t have any money...I think” Though Tsugumi did have her wallet shoved into the inner pocket of her jacket, she doubted that money would be worth anything here. 

Kitazawa cocked her head slightly at Tsugumi’s doubt of her own financial situation, but continued on regardless. “That’s okay! Here, I’ll give you one on the house. As a welcome to Roselake!  _ And _ ...for good luck on getting un-lost!” 

“Oh! You don’t have to do that.” Tsugumi tried to refuse, but she could see that Kitazawa was already getting a croquette ready. 

“Please? You look like you need it.” She insisted, shoving the paper wrapped snack toward Tsugumi. It was then that she realized how hungry she was. Had time passed during her trip through the mirror? How odd. She had always assumed that kind of thing would be instantaneous. 

“Okay, okay. Thank you.” Tsugumi accepted the gift and started to leave when the shopkeep spoke up again.

“Oh, you know what?”

“Wha-”

“The tavern! There’s  _ loads _ of adventurers passing through there, and they know all kinds of stuff! You could um...borrow a map from them? Or something!” She was so excited about her very good idea.

Something about this girl’s energy put a smile on Tsugumi’s face. She was just so earnest about wanting to help. And the croquette smelled  _ really _ good.

“Thank you...um…ah...”

“Hagumi!” 

“Hagumi! Okay. Yes! Thank you Hagumi.” 

Tsugumi wasn’t sure if any maps would help her, but talking to adventurers seemed like a good idea. They probably dealt with magic stuff. And this was definitely magic stuff. 

As she turned to leave, a sharp breeze felt as though it cut straight through her. Unnatural, like the one she had felt in the forest. It rattled her bones and stung her skin and nearly caused her to drop her food. Tsugumi looked around frantically to find the source, but all she saw was the market going about as normal. No one else seemed to have noticed. 


	4. Chapter 4

Finding the tavern wasn’t too difficult. It was located just outside the row of shops making up the market. Plus, it had a nice big wooden sign hung over the door that said “TAVERN”. Convenient!

When Tsugumi entered the tavern, she was at first struck by how pleasant it seemed. Her image of fantasy taverns was one of big burly men shouting things at each other and, say, arm wrestling. Or something. Not really the most welcoming place, especially not for an outsider. But the interior was perfectly lovely! The bartender gave her a polite wave! 

Though it was possible that this was simply because it was the middle of the day rather than what might be peak tavern time. 

The second thing that struck Tsugumi was how empty the tavern was….also likely the fault of the time of day. There were a grand total of three patrons, and Tsugumi desperately hoped that they were all adventurers. Or any of them even. Or if maybe they knew some people that know some things that they could point her in the direction of.

Well, no matter. It was time to try her luck. All she had to do was talk to complete strangers while they were minding their own business, strangers who were part of a world that she was trespassing upon. Nothing anxiety inducing about any of that. 

Tsugumi tentatively approached the person who she thought might be her best bet. Her target sat in a far corner of the room and if Tsugumi ever decided to look up “adventurer” in the dictionary, her picture might have cropped up. She had a look on her face that nearly matched the intensity of the pauldron on her right shoulder and the axe at her side. It was also dawning on Tsugumi that this rugged individual might be her  _ only _ bet. The other two people in the bar were conversing with each other, and both were completely devoid of armor or scars or weaponry. 

“Um….” Oh god, what was she supposed to say? She was standing directly in front of this  _ incredibly _ intimidating person and she had nothing. Worse yet, she had already made the decision to disturb the stranger, and now her judgemental gaze was looking right through her. Tsugumi could feel sweat building on her forehead. “....Hi! Hello there. So-  _ so _ sorry to bother you!” 

“It’s fine.” Though the gruff disposition of the stranger hadn’t shifted, there was a gentle quality to her response that relieved Tsugumi somewhat. It was as if this was all genuinely, completely fine. Still, Tsugumi found herself frozen, completely panicked. “What can I do ya for?” She asked, trying to help Tsugumi out.

“Ah! Sorry, sorry. You….you’re an adventurer….right?” 

“Masuki Satou, at your service. Whaddaya need? Help with a quest or somethin’?” Her intense gaze relaxed, as did her posture. She leaned back in her wooden chair, and all around began to look more approachable. 

“Oh! Sort of? Unless quests are like, an official thing. With paperwork. Um- if that is the case then I guess this is more of a casual….quest.” Ah, Tsugumi was unraveling fast. “Or an unofficial quest? Or- actually let’s just drop the quest part of this! Because I don’t know the- um- the  _ connotations _ of that word as it applies to  _ here _ . I have a few questions relating to things you might know about?  **_ADVICE._ ** I’m looking for advice! That’s the word.” 

Masuki stared at her, a bit bewildered, though with a touch of amusement. “I’m guessin’ you’re not from around here, yeah?”

“Is it that obvious?” Tsugumi sighed, knowing all too well how obvious it was.

“Yep. But it’s fine, I’m feelin’ inclined to help ya.” Masuki turned slightly in her chair to face Tsugumi more directly. “Ok. Ask away.” 

Tsugumi was surprised by how friendly and compliant this Masuki person was being. She wasn’t sure if she trusted it, really. What if she was just really stoked to give Tsugumi  _ bad _ advice?  _ Bad  _ advice that could get her  _ killed _ ? It’s unfortunate for her that she might never know Masuki’s true reasoning behind her helpfulness, which was simply that she found Tsugumi cute. 

Nevertheless, she had questions and Masuki was willing to give answers.

“Okay! So….as you have suspected, I’m from Not Here. Uh!  _ Very _ not here. So my question is….on your adventures have you ever encountered any kind of magic mirrors? That might lead to alternate universes or um….or something? Like that?” Tsugumi didn’t really know how much of a long shot a question like that might be, but at the very least it was a place to start. 

Masuki sat there, deep in thought. She was really, really thinking hard. The amount of thinking had started to get Tsugumi’s hopes up.

“Nope. Can’t say I have.” 

And there Tsugumi’s hopes went, violently dashed against the rocks of disappointment. 

“Oh….well um- that’s okay! Thank you though.” She tried not to let the disappointment show too much on her face.

“Yeah….real sorry about that. I don’t work with magic artifacts too often. But hey, someone in Castle Town might be able to help you out. A uh…. scholar or a wizard or something. But ah….oh you don’t know how to get there do ya?” Masuki scratched the back of her head sheepishly as the apologetic thoughts fell out of her mouth in whatever order they pleased. 

Tsugumi shook her head.

“Well uh….oh! Here,” Masuki reached into her bag and pulled out a roll of paper. “a map of the region.”

“A-ah ! Oh! Are you sure? You don’t uh- you don’t need this?” Tsugumi hesitantly took the map from Masuki.

“Nahhh. I know this area like the back of my hand. And er….the map’s a little on the outdated side. But it’s better than nothing, right?” 

“Yeah! Yes! Thank you Masuki.”

“Hey, it’s no problem….” She started to trail off. 

Ah, yes! They never actually got properly acquainted. “Oh! Tsugumi. Tsugumi Hazawa. Is um- is me.”

“Aha, gotcha. Stay safe out there Tsugumi. I’d like to see you around more.” Masuki winked.

Tsugumi wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so she just nodded and waved goodbye. 

  
  
  
  


As Tsugumi turned to leave, thoroughly disheartened at the lack of information gained (though thankful for a new friend), she caught a glint of something. It was just for a second, caught in her peripheral during a turning of the head. From the far corner of the room, which now seemed so much darker than it was when she first came in, she could have sworn she saw the briefest flash of gold. However, on a second look there was nothing there. Ah. Likely just a flash of sunlight on a gold coin or something. Nothing worth dwelling on. Still, it did startle her. 

She had just barely stepped outside of the bounds of the tavern when, before her foot even had a chance to fall, a hand grabbed Tsugumi’s shoulder. That sharp, unnatural breeze had returned once more and struck her again. She let out a yelp, something of a “ _ WAH _ .”, as she stumbled back and fell to the ground. 

“ _ Hey! _ What do you think you’re d-” As she looked up to see who had startled her, the accusatory tone dissipated, “...doing….”. 

The looming figure was sharp and tall. White, feathered wings adorned her back. Though most of her body was covered in cloth and stray pieces of armor (it seemed like it might have been a complete set at some point), the few patches of skin visible were riddled with scars. Including her face. One across the nose, two along her jaw, one through her right eyebrow. There was even a small chunk taken out of one of her (sharp) ears. She stared down at Tsugumi with dangerous eyes, two glowing green dots in a sea of inky black. 

God, she was really tall. Broad shoulders too. Which Tsugumi only noticed because of how intimidating she was, obviously.

“Who are you?” The presence didn’t even give Tsugumi a moment to collect herself, "How did you gain access to one of the bridges? How did you manage to  _ sever  _ the l-” 

“W-woah. Um….who are  _ you _ ?” Tsugumi was fairly certain that wasn’t going to get her anywhere.

“Answer the questions I have given you.” 

Yeah, she should have figured. “Uh. I-I’m Tsugumi….Tsugumi Hazawa-”

The stranger produced a small notebook from thin air and started jotting down notes. 

“What are you writing?” Tsugumi finally stands back up. 

“A report. Answer the remaining questions.” 

“A report- oh my god. Are you a fantasy cop? Am I going to  _ fantasy jail? _ ” It was of course a joke, a defense mechanism activated to combat the way her heart felt like bursting out of her chest and the way her hands were like hummingbirds. 

“I don’t know what you’re saying to me. Answer the remaining questions.” As if it wasn’t already extremely evident, the stranger didn’t have much in the way of a sense of humor. 

“I- I’m not really sure how to answer the other two questions….I’m sorry. I don’t really know how I got here. Um….I guess I touched a mirror or- or something? I woke up in a forest…? I- I’m sorry….” It would do her no good to panic, yet here Tsugumi was. Panicking. All her fears about trespassing in this world seemed as though they were coming true. She was most certainly going to fantasy jail. “I- I don’t…” 

There was a shift in her interrogator’s expression. Small, but present. Her intense glare relaxed into what was likely just her resting face (though it was still plenty unapproachable). Her hand hesitated at Tsugumi’s shoulder, a brief consideration on whether or not she should hold it. To offer some kind of grounding support or something. She had quickly decided that would be a terrible idea. 

“Sayo.” 

“Huh?” That sudden shift startled Tsugumi somewhat.

“My name. It’s Sayo.” She was still so serious.

“Oh.”

Well, at least she had a name. That was a turn that Tsugumi hadn’t expected. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t answer your questions, Sayo.” 

Sayo shook her head dismissively. 

“I was tasked with making contact with you. The connection between your world and ours has been severed, which occurred right around the same time you” she pointed at Tsugumi, “used one of the bridges. That mirror you mentioned.” Sayo remained calm and collected as she informed Tsugumi of the incredible way in which she apparently managed to fuck up. She ripped the paper she had been writing on out of the notebook, and the page turned to dust between her fingers, drifting off into the wind. She then vanished the notebook away. 

“Oh….” The weight of the situation had begun to settle on Tsugumi’s shoulders, and she felt just about ready to collapse. “So then….”

“If you wish to return home, you won’t be able to do so until the connection is repaired.”

“And who um….who is going to make those repairs….?” 

“You.” 

Ah, just what Tsugumi wanted. A quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYO https://ibb.co/dj7wmP7


	5. Chapter 5

A quest. Her? Tsugumi Hazawa? Given a quest? Far be it from her to bemoan the concept of completing tasks, but this was _different_ . It was _magical_. She was all alone and tasked with fixing something she didn’t even know existed until just a few moments ago. And this ‘Sayo’ person didn’t seem particularly sympathetic to her plight, or at the very least, not visibly so to her panicked brain. Tsugumi spiraled right in front of her and Sayo merely watched, waiting for her to be done. 

This all seemed so impossible. What had been the last thing Tsugumi had said to her parents? Her friends? Would they be aware of her disappearance?

Was there time dilation?

When she…. _if_ she manages to escape wherever HERE was would home still look the same? Would her friends be older? Old? Dead? An endless stream of “ _oh god_ ”s bounced around her skull.

She was going to fix a magical bridge and return home and realize 100 years had passed. She was becoming more and more sure of it with every passing second as her anxiety strangled her brain cells. There was someone calling her name. A distant _‘Hazawa…Hazawa’_ likely the ghosts of her friends, long passed, haunting her in this realm-

Her mind was further rattled by vigorous shaking from the hand that had grabbed her shoulder.

“Hazawa.” Ah, the voice had just been Sayo. That made sense. “Are you listening to me?”

“...Could you repeat that…?” Tsugumi let out a nervous chuckle that only served to produce a heavy sigh from Sayo. 

“I _said_ that I’m not going to leave you adrift in the wind with this. It’s far too important a task to place squarely upon your shoulders.”

Oddly enough, this did not comfort Tsugumi as much as Sayo had intended. Perhaps it was the emphasis on how dire this all was. Sayo waited for some kind of hint of gratefulness from Tsugumi but was only met with further dazed confusion, so she continued on.

“I have a few acquaintances who should have some insight on this. Though I have never seen it myself, it’s likely that this isn’t the first time the connection has been severed. I doubt you were the sole cause, especially given that (and please do not take offense at the following words) you could hardly be considered a threat by any security measures. The connection was likely unstable to begin with. I will assist you in information gathering as well as the actual fixing process. The job will get done faster that way.” 

Though couched in Sayo’s insistence of teamwork and togetherness, Tsugumi was acutely aware of the intended punishment. A real basic ‘you broke it, so fix it’. Though still filled with trepidation over the daunting nature of it, the basic concept was perfectly fine with her. She did break it, after all. It was only right that she fixed it. Hey! She _would_ have done it alone if that was deemed necessary. She was unbelievably thankful that she wouldn’t have to handle this alone. But she would have. In spite of the aforementioned dire nature of the situation. Ah, that surely would have led to her death, wouldn’t it? Well, good thing Sayo seemed so keen on lending a hand. 

In fact, Sayo was _so_ stoked to lend a hand, she had already started walking!

“H-hey! Wait up-” A good four steps got Tsugumi up to pace with the one and a half that Sayo had taken.

“There’s no time to waste, Hazawa.” 

“We’re going by foot? Can’t we take um….like, a horse? Or something?”

“Do you have the money for a horse?”  
  


“Oh. No.”

“Can you ride a horse?”

“....Also no.”

“Then we’re going by foot.” 

Tsugumi sighed, but didn’t bother objecting further. Sayo was doing her a massive favor, and she really didn’t feel like testing her luck any more than she already had. Though, as they walked she found her eyes occasionally drifting to Sayo’s wings. 

The wings were often right in her face as her pace was a bit slower than her companion (the disparity in leg length was a real killer), so she really didn’t have much choice. At first it was just a matter of wondering if they could skip this whole walking business via Sayo flying them both to their destination. However, the longer she looked, the more Tsugumi wondered if Sayo could even fly herself. From a distance they had seemed so pristine. Blindingly white, the way the sun passed through each individual feather made them seem as if they were glowing. Up close, she could see that they were just as scarred as their owner. Tsugumi wasn’t exactly a fount of bird knowledge, but even she could tell that these wings were in need of some proper preening. 

The trip was dead silent, save for a few stray ‘thank you’s thrown Sayo’s way as well as this single attempt at conversation that went about as well as one would expect:

“So….who’s this friend of yours? What’s their name?” Tsugumi had offered to Sayo, in hopes that she might perhaps open up just a tad about something. Tsugumi wouldn’t dare say it out loud, and in fact she even loathed to have the idea cross her mind, but Sayo hadn’t seemed like the type to have friends. 

Sayo glanced down at Tsugumi, furrowed her brow, and quickly turned her attention back to the road.

“She can tell you herself when we get there.” 

All in all, it was quite the boring walk.

Thankfully, this friend of Sayo’s didn’t live too far outside of town. When they finally stopped in front of the lovely two story cottage that was apparently their destination, it was still day and Tsugumi could still see Roselake off in the distance. 

Tsugumi thought it odd how normal the house seemed. A sleepy little home with all its curtains drawn. It was as though it had been picked up from the town and dropped right outside it off the side of the road by some greater force. Pushed out by some entity telling it that it did not belong among all the other nice houses. She also thought that the garden in the front yard was lovely! 

Once again Tsugumi’s curiosity at her newfound environment had gotten the better of her, and Sayo was already at the door well before she was done taking it all in. 

“Hazawa.” Was all Sayo had to say to Tsugumi as she ran up to the front door to join her.

“Aha….sorry.” 

Sayo took a deep sigh, exhaling all the frustrations she had about her traveling companion, and knocked on the door.

There was no response. For a good few minutes, the warped wood grain of the door stared back at them.

“Ah….Sayo, are you sure she’s home? Maybe um….should we come back la-” It was then that the door opened, as if out of spite. 

From what Tsugumi could tell, there was absolutely no one there to greet them. Granted, there would have to be a mighty big emphasis placed on ‘could tell’, as it was hard to see anything at all. On the other side of the threshold was absolute darkness. This did not deter Sayo, who stepped inside like it was nothing. Tsugumi had no choice but to follow.

“Good afternoon, Shirokane.” Sayo called out. Tsugumi couldn’t tell if this acquaintance was even in the room. Or anywhere adjacent. Or what ‘adjacent’ even was. She had no sense of space, really. The only thing she could see was the glow of Sayo’s eyes. She was thankful for that, at the very least. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m turning on a light.” Sayo added.

She crossed the room with such purpose. It was apparent that Sayo could see perfectly fine in the dark and the light was merely for Tsugumi’s sake.

Despite being a singular lamp off in the corner, the light filled the entire first floor. Glancing Sayo’s way, Tsugumi could see that it wasn’t a candle, or even the surprise appearance of something modern like a lightswitch. It was simply a very magical, very glowy rock. Tsugumi wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. But light was good. Light allowed Tsugumi to get a sense of where she was. 

As it turned out, the pleasant exterior of the home _did_ extend to the interior. Just from her position in the foyer, Tsugumi could see a fancy little parlor area to the side filled with books and tea sets, comfy chairs, and even a game or two. There was a kitchen across from it, all dark wood and brass. Less lived in than the parlor, but organized expertly. The rooms were separated by archways to create an open plan concept for this first floor.

Perfectly lovely….and a bit off to Tsugumi. She wouldn’t claim to be an expert in the architecture of a world that she had been in for all of a day, but it seemed as though this home was of an entirely different century than what she had seen in Roselake. More Victorian than medieval fantasy. Well, it was of a different century if operating on the logic that these were all Earth homes found on Earth. But they weren’t. So Tsugumi had no choice but to not worry too much about it. 

Sayo’s ears twitched at something.

“What are you-” Tsugumi started, before realizing what it was that Sayo had heard. 

Footsteps. Two sets of them. 

Tsugumi found her heart pounding. She wasn’t sure why she was so anxious, but she was. It was awfully annoying.

“Oh, Sayo….I wish I had known you were coming….” A soft voice said, likely the Shirokane in question if Tsugumi had to guess. “Can I get you some tea? Or-” The other set of footsteps came bounding down the stairs quite fast. They nearly knocked Shirokane over in their excitement. Then those footsteps reached the bottom step, and their owner spotted Tsugumi. 

And Tsugumi froze up at the sight of Ako staring right at her. 

And Ako froze up at the sight of Tsugumi staring right back.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

“ _ TSUGU. _ ”

There was a finger pointed in Tsugumi’s face. A finger attached to a very pouty Ako Udagawa. A very pouty Ako Udagawa who was likely trying to come across as intimidating. She might have failed in that respect, but she did ultimately achieve the outcome she was looking for.

“I-I’m so sorry Ako!” Tsugumi cried. She had a feeling about what the problem at hand could have been, and the sheer thought filled her with a crushing guilt. So much guilt that she hadn’t registered the little horns peeking out from under Ako’s bangs. That was the furthest thing from her mind. 

“I was only supposed to be over here visiting Rin-rin for a few days” Ako folded her arms, embracing her newfound scolding rights.

“I know…” Tsugumi responded, as if this was information she was aware of. Really, it was more an acknowledgement of how much she, herself, wasn’t supposed to be here. 

“Did you seriously break into my room?? I saw you, you know.  _ Peeking. _ ” Each word cut Tsugumi’s poor little heart. Oh, it was truly agonizing.    
  
That was what really opened the floodgates for a storm of apologizing. For eavesdropping, for sneaking into her room, for keeping Ako from going home. It was all very loud and distracting for the two individuals standing next to them, trying to have a conversation. 

Sayo glanced over at the mess of crying and hugging happening beside her, and concluded that it was none of her business.

Rinko shifted uncomfortably beside the scene. “Um….should we maybe….ah….” 

“They’ll be fine.” Sayo looked over again to see that they were both still going through it. “Well, I assume they will be. In any case, Shirokane, might you know where Minato is? I have a feeling she may be able to help with the present…” She gave a vague wave over to Tsugumi’s presence, “....issue.” 

That had caught Tsugumi’s attention, and she turned her head toward the other conversation. “Hey!” She knew she wasn’t allowed to take offense at being called an “issue”. But still! It didn’t feel great!

“How else might you describe yourself, Hazawa? Enlighten me.” 

“Um-” Rinko tried to interject, but was far too quiet to be heard amidst the bubbling tension.

“A- an  _ unexpected guest _ ?”

Tsugumi wasn’t entirely sure why she was objecting so hard to Sayo’s words. Perhaps it was simply because Sayo was the one saying them. Something about her energy must have rubbed Tsugumi the wrong way. The “vibe was off”. Or something.

But she was being rude! She was in someone’s home, where she didn’t belong, on top of the already ever present anxiety of being in a world where she didn’t belong, and she was being  _ rude! _ Arguing with someone who had offered to help her? She couldn’t believe herself. Weird vibes be damned! So she sighed, calmed herself down a little, and turned her attention to Rinko, who she realized she had yet to thank for her hospitality. 

It was then that something else had also caught Tsugumi’s attention, which was the appearance of their current host. She was staring. She knew she was staring. Further compounding her rudeness. But her host….exceptionally pale, sharp ears, visible fangs and ah….two little circular scars on her neck. That combined with the dark they had found this home in….

This darkened home, located far outside town….a  _ safe _ distance outside town. 

Tsugumi could feel herself spiralling, teetering on the edge of assuming the worst and doing something very, very stupid out of panic. 

“I-I’m sorry um….I hope you don’t mind me asking this but….but uh….oh, ah! Um! Nevermind. Nevermind actually, I’m sorry-” 

Ako shot her a look, a desperate plea not to embarrass her. Right! Ako was here. Tsugumi was being stupid. Everything was terrifying and strange, but Ako was here. So far, she had no reason not to trust Ako. And by extension, Ako’s friends.

She had hoped the attempted question would have gone unnoticed. But Rinko wasn’t an idiot. She could follow the line of sight of her guest. Her hand shot up to cover the scarring on her neck. Guilt nestled itself in Tsugumi’s chest.

Sayo had just about enough of this.

“Please, Shirokane. Minato’s whereabouts. Do you know them or not?” Sayo’s own secondhand anxiety from how badly Tsugumi was fumbling manifested itself in growing agitation. 

“R-right….” Rinko did her best to shake herself free from Tsugumi’s scrutiny. “Um….Castle Town. She’s in….she uh- she said she was going to….to Castle Town for….um….-”

“Ah, a shopping trip with Imai, then?” A little satisfied smirk crossed Sayo’s lips, satisfied with what she was certain was an accurate guess.

“S-sure.” 

“Well, alright then.” With that, Sayo made her way over to the door. “We don’t have all day, Hazawa. Come on.” 

“Ah! Sayo, one moment actually!” Ako spoke up. Tsugumi’s hand was gripping Ako’s sleeve, having just tugged it to get her attention. She had a feeling this might be her only chance to get some questions answered. Sayo merely folded her arms and scowled in response. “Please? I need to talk to Tsugu  _ rreeeal _ quick.” 

The scowl deepened.

“ _ Really _ really quick.”

It was truly amazing, the depths that Sayo’s frown could reach.

“Two seconds! I promise.”

“Fine, Udagawa. Two seconds.” Sayo relented, turned away from the group, and headed out the door.

“ _ Awesome _ . Thank you!” Ako took it upon herself to drag Tsugumi toward an adjacent room, past the parlor. 

Away from the watching eyes of Sayo and Rinko, Tsugumi felt like she was going to crumble into a million pieces. Though she wasn’t alone in this, there was a tremble in the grip Ako had on Tsugumi’s sleeve.

“ _What_ _the h-_ what is- where _ARE_ we?” Was all Tsugumi managed to sputter out, louder than she intended.

“ _ Shhh! _ ”

“Don’t  _ shh _ me! Where  _ are we _ ??” 

“Earth!” 

“ _ AKO _ .” 

“Earth,  _ sort of _ .” 

“Please. The ‘sort of’ part.” Tsugumi ran a hand through her hair, trying to move nonexistent stray hairs out of her face. “Please explain. I’m begging you.”

Ako searched desperately for the simplest way in which to explain where they were. 

“Okay, okay.  _ Welcome _ Tsugu, to um- to my home! Not this- not this house, specifically. But um. I am from here. This realm. You’re just like- you’re in an alternate, cooler Earth with wizards and demons. Okay?” 

“That’s insane.” 

“Okay, well what did you  _ think _ this was?” 

“I don’t know! It’s just- it’s weird to hear it, I guess! An alternate realm…..?” Tsugumi’s hand switched from her hair to her chin, and she adopted a pose of deep thought. “Like….an alternate universe?”

“Sure! Sort of. Um….but, yeah it’s uh- aha- it’s a little crazy that you’re here. Which you shouldn’t be, by the way. And I’m still  _ very _ mad that you snuck into my room.” Ako furrowed her brows and pouted for just a second, to drive home just how furious she was.

“And I’m still  _ very _ sorry that- wait- hold on wait- you say this place is your home right? Is….wait is Tomoe-” 

“OH- no, no. My sister is a human! From your world.”

“Then….how did….and are- and you…. you’re not human?” Tsugumi’s eyes finally began to register the visible horns jutting out of Ako’s forehead. “Oh. You’re not.” 

“It’s a  _ really _ long story. But no….eheheheh….before you is…” A light seemed to turn on in Ako’s eyes, “a most  _ vile _ and  _ wicked  _ creature- crawling out from the  _ depths of…. hell! _ She who hath descended upon  _ your _ Earth to….um….to uh….”

Tsugumi hadn’t heard anyone enter the room, but she was suddenly very aware of someone standing right behind her.

“Ako is a lesser demon of The Obsidian Fields” Rinko added, helpfully.

“R- _ Rin-rin _ …..” 

“O-oh! Sorry. A…. _ very _ powerful….lesser demon of The Obsidian Fields.”

Tsugumi felt like she was about to pass out. Rinko, well acquainted with the feeling of being about to pass out, felt a strong desire to help her guest, though she wasn’t fully aware of all the details.

“Do you….need to sit down….? Can I get you um- some….some tea maybe?” She was trying her best, and Tsugumi really did appreciate that actually. 

“No, no that’s okay. Thank you. I shouldn’t keep Sayo waiting, aha. I just….am learning that my friend’s sister was a demon the whole time. So. You know just- I need a second. But I’ll be fine, I think.”

“Well, it serves you right! Who told you to go into my room?” Ah, and Ako was back in her earned scolding mode.

“I’m really  _ really  _ sorry. I’ll fix whatever I broke. I promise. You’ll be able to see Tomoe again soon.”

“You  _ promise _ ?” It was a hard thing to promise. Ako knew this. There were so many uncertainties. Still, Tsugumi seemed so damn earnest. She was inclined to believe her.

“Yeah!  _ Yeah _ , promise. I don’t care what it takes. I’ll make things right, Ako.” 

There was an opening of the front door.

“Just letting you both know that you have well exceeded your two seconds.” Sayo called into the house, her head poking in through the entrance.

Tsugumi sighed. “Well….I better not keep her waiting.” She tried to keep her grumbling and groaning to a minimum.

“She’s really….not so bad….once you get to know her.” Rinko said, making it very clear to Tsugumi that she failed at keeping anything to a minimum. 

“Wait- Tsugu. One more thing before you go.” 

“Yes, Ako?”

With that, Ako lunged at Tsugumi, pulling her into one last hug. 

“A-Ako-”

Mid hug, Ako slipped something into Tsugumi’s front pants pocket. 

“What did you….?”

“Summoning seeds. If you’re ever in need of my  _ dark _ and  _ powerful _ magicks….um….just throw them at the ground! I’ll be there in a flash.” 

And so Tsugumi was just a little bit more prepared for her journey. 

She left Rinko’s home, sighing with a bit of content and perhaps some kind of newfound hope for her mission. Daunting as it may be, she was not without allies. It was a nice feeling, all things considered. The early evening breeze was refreshing, and there was what sounded like a faint song floating upon it. Tsugumi breathed in deep and let out a content sigh. Her anxiety was molding itself into determination. She had promised Ako, after all. She couldn’t let her down.

“Hazawa.” 

Ah right, one of her treasured allies. 

“Yes, Sayo?”

“What did Udagawa give you? Those ridiculous ‘summoning seeds’?” Confrontational. Sayo was already well aware of the answer. A cold fear shot down Tsugumi’s spine. 

“Um-”

“Don’t use them.” 

“I didn’t even-”   
  


“ _ Promise  _ me that you will not use them.” There was an edge of desperation beneath Sayo’s usual stern tone. The slightest crack at the edge of a word or two….a bit of a wavering at the end of her plea. Tsugumi wasn’t sure what to make of it, but it was clear to her that there was no point in arguing.

“I-I promise….” 

“Good.” And Sayo was back to her usual self. Stiff postured and calm. “Let’s continue on then.” 

“....Right.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hey welcome to this thing I've been working on! you can find me on twitter @soggystyrofoam. I've been working on this AU for like, at least a month now and I'm kind of very stoked to finally share it. Concept sketches will come with later chapters >:)


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